chronological listing | solo/ensemble type listing
Scoring: 2(I=picc,II=afl).1.1.1–1.2.2.1–pft.elec org–7.3.3.1
First performance: Timothy Reynish (conductor), Royal Northern College of Music, 14 October 1977
Performance by BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra with Garry Walker (conductor) recorded at Broadcasting House, Glasgow, 28 March 2004 for broadcast on BBC Radio 3 Hear and Now, 17 April 2004
Awarded Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize 1977
Solo countertenor
Texts: I 'Snowdrop' by Ted Hughes; II 'Stylite', Louis MacNeice
No known performance
Solo flute
First performance (revised version): Anna Noakes (flute), Royal Northern College of Music, 13 February 1978
Solo violin
First performance: Ola Rudner (violin), Wigmore Hall, London, 25 June 1978
Awarded Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal 1978
Soprano, countertenor and ensemble
Scoring: 1.1.1.0–1.1.1.0–pno.cel/org/hpd–perc(2):mar,vib,crot(chromatic octave),t.bells,tam-t(large),3gongs(high-medium-low),susp.cym(large),4bongos,conga drum,wdbl,2claves,3cowbells(pitched)–S.CT–string quartet(1.1.1.1.0)
Text: Taken from The Ruin, Old English Verse (translated by Michael Alexander)
First performance: New Music Forum Ensemble, David Fanning (conductor), Royal Northern College of Music, 27 February 1980
"...words almost fail me when it comes to (student?) Paul Keenan's "The Ruin" , apparently inspired by the opening section of an Anglo-Saxon poem..." Paul Dewhirst, The Daily Telegraph. Click here for full review.
Guitar duo
First performance (1981 version): Aguado Guitar Duo: Peter Batchelar and Kenneth Heggie (guitars), Royal Northern College of Music, 8 April 1981. Other performances include Purcell Room, London, 9 October 1983.
First performance (1984 version): Aguado Guitar Duo: Peter Batchelar and Kenneth Heggie (guitars), Norwich, 11 February 1984. 12 performances as part of 1984 Regional Contemporary Music Circuit tour by the Aguado Guitar Duo. Commissioned by the Aguado Guitar Duo with funds from North West Arts. As part of British Council sponsored tour in 1985, the Duo has also received performances in Australia, Hong-Kong, India and Syria.
Tape electronics
First performance: Birmingham Polytechnic (now Birmingham City University), 12 March 1988
Guitar duo
Details unknown (Performance materials not located since composer's death)
No known performance
Version 1: Flute, violin, 'cello, vibraphone, harp
Version 2: Clarinet, violin, 'cello, pianoforte
First performance (version 1): (Musicians unknown) Demarco Art Gallery, Edinburgh, 10 February 1994
First performance (version 2): (Musicians unknown) The Maltings Arts Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 2 December 1994
Soprano, ensemble, live and tape electronics
Scoring: 0.1(=ob,corA).1.0–0.0.1.0–pno–perc(1):vib,glsp,3tam-t(high-medium-low)–S–string quartet(1.1.1.1.0)–tape electronics
Text: Riddles taken from 'The First Poems in English', Old English Verse (translated by Michael Alexander)
First performance: ECAT Ensemble, Julie Moffat (soprano) and John Kenny (conductor), Morningside Baptist Church, Edinburgh, 28 January 2005
Performance broadcast on BBC Radio 3 Hear and Now, 7 May 2005. Click here for reviews.
Clarinet, violin, 'cello and pianoforte
First performance of movements 1-II-III-4-coda: Chamber Group of Scotland, Aberdeen at a Society for the Promotion of New Music promoted concert, 27 October 1996
First complete performance: Lawrence Gill (clarinet), Katie Hull (violin), Su-a Lee ('cello), Peter Evans (piano), Reid Hall, Edinburgh University 23 June 1998.
This performance was recorded and filmed by Lightyears Films for inclusion in a thirty minute documentary television programme about Paul Keenan broadcast on Border TV (ITV) 15 October 1998
Programme note by Paul Griffiths
Soprano, trombone (alto/tenor-bass), percussion (1 or 3), live and tape electronics
Text: 'Squaring xlvii' from Seamas Heaney's Seeing Things (1991), used with the poet's kind permission.
First performance: Clan Donald Centre, Isle of Skye, October 1997. Followed by 10 performances in the Highlands and Islands.
Commissioned by The Gathering (Frances Lynch, John Kenny, Bassam Abdul-Salem, John Whiting) with funds from the Scottish Arts Council. (Click here for reviews)
The commissioned composition was performed with one percussionist and multi-tracked percussion on DAT. It is possible to perform Squaring with 3 live percussionists.
43 musicians in three groups and tape electronics
Scoring: 6(III=fl,picc;IV=afl;V=afl;VI=bfl).2(I=ob;II=corA).1.0–2.0.1.0–perc(5):vib,2glsp,claves,6tam-t,2hand-held crot(high,medium),3 tuned Balinese gongs,tuned Chinese gong,crot,BD,tongue-drum(8-slot),6gongs,marimba,small bell,maracas(high,low)–2harps–pft–7.6.6.4–tape electronics
Not yet performed
Composed with the award of a bursary from the Scottish Arts Council and shortlisted by the Society for the Promotion of New Music (1999)
Trombone (alto/tenor-bass) and pianoforte [trombonist reads spoken word]
Text: Taken from The Ruin, Old English Verse (translated by Michael Alexander)
First performance: John Kenny (trombones) and George Nicholson (piano) Napier University, Edinburgh, 17 November 1998. Numerous performances across the UK, Europe and America. Broadcast in December 2002 on BBC Radio 3 Hear and Now.
Commissioned by John Kenny with funds from the Scottish Arts Council.
Score available for purchase at Warwick Music.
CD available for purchase at Carnyx & Co.
String quartet and electronics
First performance: Edinburgh String Quartet, John Kenny (conductor), Paul Keenan (sound diffusion), Paxton House, Scottish Borders, 11 July 2000.
Commissioned by Music-Makers for Summer Music at Paxton House with funds from Scottish Borders Council and The Scottish Arts Council. Click here for reviews.